Wiring fixture



Feb. 9, 1943. .-H,.w. GARB TAL 2,310,774

WIRING FIXTURE Filed Jan. 1l'. 1940 Patented Feb. 9, 1943 gnam WIRING FIXTURE Howard W. Garbo, Hinsdale, and Herman Sara.- vall, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 11, 1940, Serial No. 313,403

1 Claim.

y strap wires, which are to be secured to the terminals, into intimate engagement with the terminals. The apparatus provided comprises a bar having a pointed edge for guiding it between the rear ends of the sets of terminals on a cross bar switch assembly and a member connected to said Y bar having a series of slots therein for receiving the tips of the terminals and holding the terminals apart during the soldering thereof. Fixed to the bar are a plurality of spring pressed members, one being provided between adjacent rows of terminals for holding the wires in intimate Contact with the terminals during the soldering of the wires to the terminals.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by reference to thefollowing specification when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view on a reduced scale of the apparatus shown in Figs. l and 2 mounted on a cross bar switch assembly;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 4 4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows, showing the details of construction of the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, wherein likeV reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, a hold down fixture embodying the present invention comprises a relatively long bar ID, which, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, comprises a main body portion I I, which is slotted throughout its length, as shown at I2, to receive a serrated bar I3. The bar Ill has a projection I4 formed thereon, which is of suificient thickness to fit tightly between adjacent rows of terminals I5 on a cross bar switch assembly. yThe projection Iii is pointed at its edge, as shown at'IS, -to render it easier to insert the projection I4 between the rows of terminals. As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the serrated member I3 iits into the slot I2 and is held 4in place on the bar lil by means of screws I'I, which extend substantially all the way through the bar Ill, thereby to hold the serrated bar I3 securely in the bar I0.

The serrated bar I3 has a plurality of slots It (Figs. 1 and 5) cut therein of suiiicient width to to receive the terminals I5 and these slots are widened, as shown at IS-IQ, to guide any terminals I5, which are bent slightly out of alignment, into the proper position with respect one to another. It willthu's be apparent that a bar lo of the type just described, having the serrated bar I3 mounted thereon, will, when slipped into engagement with the terminals of a piece of electrical apparatus, for example, a cross bar switch assembly, hold the terminals of the apparatus spaced equally from each other in a horizontal plane.

Fixed to the left edge (Fig. 4) of the bar IIl, by means of screws 2I--2I, are a series of substantially L-shaped springs 22, which are spaced along the bar IIl so that when the barv In is positioned on a row of terminals on a cross bar switch assembly, there will be one spring 22 positioned between each adjacent bank of terminals. These springs 22 have loosely mounted at their free end a hold down bar 23, which is adapted to engage a series of wires 2G strung above the terminals I5 and force the wires down into intimate engagement with the terminals. The hold down bar 23 is loosely mounted on the free end of the spring 22 in order that it may automatically compensate for any irregularities in the tension of the wires 24.

The iixture hereinbefore described is particularly useful for holding strap wires 2li in engagement with the terminals of the cross bar switch assembly, a fragment of which is shown in Fig. 3. These assemblies comprise end frames 30 and 3| between which units of switching apparatus are positioned. These units comprise a supporting plate 32 and other equipment, which equipment has rows of terminals I5 extending from it. In the manufacture of cross bar switch assemblies, it is necessary to connect one terminal of each group of terminals to the corresponding terminal of every other group on the same level with them and in doing this, an operator, after having arranged a plurality of wires across the cross bar switch assembly in any suitable manner, for example, by stretching the wires around suitably supported pins 33, may hold all the wires in a single row in intimate engagement with their associated terminals by simply sliding the projection I6 'between adjacent rows of terminals I5. The terminals, of course, will enter the slots I8 and be held in the proper position horizontally.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described hereinbefore', as designed for use in connection with a specific form of apparatus, it will be understood that modications of the apparatus might be made to render ituseful in connection with other equipment to be similarly wired without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

fil

What is claimed is:

A wiring xture comprising a terminal engaging bar adapted to engage the edges of a. row of terminals, a spring pressed member mounted on said bar, a hold down bar pivotally mounted on the free end of the spring for forcing wires into engagement with the opposite edges of said row of terminals, and spacing means mounted on the bar between the spring pressed member and the bar for properly positioning the terminals, said spacing means comprising a serrated member having the teeth thereof pointed to guide the terminals to position.

HOWARD W. GARBE. HERMAN SARAVALLI. 

